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Cat Not Using
Litter Box
(C) Copyright 2009
by Angels4Animals.com
Cat
Not Using Litter Box - What You Need to Know
Any time a cat is
not using his / her litter box (for either urination, bowel
movements, or both), it is a sign that something is very wrong - a
cry for help. Your cat needs immediate help. He or she needs to be
seen by a vet.
If yor cat is
urinating outside of the litter box, he or she may have a urinary
tract infection or may have crystals in his / her kidneys. Both of
these conditions will cause your cat to experience at lot of pain and
discomfort, and are serious medical conditions which require medical
care. You should get your cat to a vet immediately. Left untreated,
both of these conditions will only get worse - they will not improve
on their own. Your cat will continue to experience more and more
pain, will grow increasingly more sick, and will eventually die a
painful death if you do not get him / her the help she/ he needs from
a vet.
Other possible
reasons for the cat not to use the litter box when urinating or for
bowel movements may be that the litter box is not being kept
adequately clean - the bacteria in an unclean box can cause painful
irritation when the cat squats in the litter box. The smell of an
unmaintained litter box may also be more than the cat can tolerate
(keep in mind that a cats sense of smell is many times greater than
our own). Waste should be removed from the box at least once a day
using a sifter, and the litter should be changed once a week. Cats
are fastiduously clean animals, which is one of the things that makes
them so admirable. Honor that by cleaning your cat's litter box clean
and you'll help to ensure a healthy, happy cat. (How would you like
to use a toilet that hadn't been flushed for days? Please don't
impose that on your cat!).
Whenever a cat is
not using the litter box for bowel movements and urinating, there is
a possibility that the cat is allergic to the brand of litter, and
therefore isn't using the box for that reason. When this is the case,
the cat will usually make both bowel movements and urinate outside of
the box. So if he/she is only urinating outside of the box, but using
the box for bowel movements, an allergy is unlikely to be the cause,
though it can't be entirely ruled out.
Lastly, if at cat
is feeling very stressed, or insecure in its home environment, it may
sometimes urinate outside the litter box. This is not "bad
behavior" or "acting out" as many people mistakenly
think, rather, it is a natural "marking" behavior. Cats
naturally need to mark their territory, and one way they may do this
when under high levels of stress is by urinating. Cats do this
instinctively to send a signal that say's "this is my
territory" - it stems from their roots in the wild, when they
needed to stake their territory with other wild cats. A house cat may
do this if it is under stress for any number of reasons, including
other cats in the house who are causing it some form of stress which
you may or may not be aware of; it may do it if it is under stress
due to a new person moving into the household; it may do it if it's
human companion is away from the home a lot (in that case, it may
urinate in areas it associates with you in order to feel closer to you).
With all that
said, the bottom line is that anytime a cat is not using the litter
box, its a deperate cry for help. You need to exercise compassion and
get your cat the help he or she needs, so don't become angry
andfrustrated. Your cat needs to be seen by a vet to rule out the
possibility of a painful and serious medical condition. Nine times
out of ten, this is the problem, but if you get your cat help early,
there are things that can be done to make your cat better or at least
ease his/ her suffering.
If the vet finds
that nothing is wrong medically, you then need to figure out what
might be stressing the cat.Cats have much deeper emotions than most
people realize, and they are very susceptible to stress.Unlike
people, they can not talk about what causes them anxiety or upset, so
it is up to us to watch our cats behavior carefully and be sensitive
to anything which might be stressing him / her. And you also
need to make sure you are not forcing him / her to use a litter box
that needs cleaning!
A cat should never
be punished in any way or yelled at for going outside the litter box.
It is never the cats fault. They don't do this to be bad. They do
this when, for one reason or another, they feel they have no other choice.
It is a cry for help indicating that something is very wrong. Cats
are meticulous animals. They will only stop using their litter box
when there is a medical issue, the box is unsanitary, or they are
experiencing something highly stressful.
Your cat needs to
be seen by a vet asap. They vet will get to the bottom of it.
Remember, the #1 cause of cats not using the litter box (when it
comes to urination) is a painful medical condition that your cat may
be suffering with. Unlike us humans, he or she can't speak to tell
you how bad he/ she is feeling, nor can your cat go to the doctor on
their own. Your cat is relying on you to tune into the fact that
something is very wrong, and to get him or her the help they need so
it doesn't become sicker and sicker.
Its important to
be a compassionate and responsible cat guardian and get your feline
companion to a vet. Cats don't do this as bad behavior. Tragically,
many cats are punished, mistreated, abused, or abandoned due to
urinating outside of the litter box or for not using the litter box
for bowel movements - when in fact, this is never actually the fault
of the cat, rather an important sign that something is medically or
environmentally wrong and the cat is in desperate need of your help.
Thank you for
caring for your feline companions!
Cat Not Using
Litter Box(C) Copyright 2009 by Angels4Animals.com
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